Penn State WRs Who Could Replace Koby Howard
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Penn State’s wide receiver corps took a hit this week when Matt Campbell announced that leading receiver Koby Howard would miss an “extended period of time” after sustaining an injury in last week’s win over Buffalo.
Howard has been one of the most explosive receivers in the country through the first three games, averaging 28.7 yards per reception. That metric ranks third in the nation and first in the Big Ten.
There isn’t another Koby Howard on this roster, but there are several players who could shine in his spot. Here’s a tier list of who is most likely to make the biggest impact without Howard in the lineup.
Penn State WRs Who Could Replace Koby Howard
Must Step Up: Brett Eskildsen, Chase Sowell and Ben Brahmer
Not going to spend much time on these three. Brett Eskildsen, Chase Sowell and tight end Ben Brahmer will be expected to make more plays in the coming weeks.
Eskildsen and Sowell seemed like they were going to be Rocco Becht’s favorite targets on the outside entering the season. They each came from Iowa State and recorded 30 or more catches for over 500 yards and multiple touchdowns in 2025, but that hasn’t been the case. Sowell has eight catches for 126 yards and one score, while Eskildsen has nine catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Brhamer has been a great red zone threat this season, catching seven passes for 97 yards and a team-best three touchdowns. Last year, he and Becht connected 37 times for 446 yards and six touchdowns.
Eskildsen is finally back to 100% after being dinged up in the first few games, and the time is now for Becht to establish a stronger connection with three of his favorite targets from a year ago.
Fan Favorites: Zay Robinson and Amarion Jackson
Zay Robinson and true freshman Amarion Jackson seem like the two likely replacements for Howard. Fans have been in awe of Robinson’s play through three games with his explosive kick returns.
The Iowa State transfer is averaging 13 yards per punt return with a long of 38 yards, and is averaging 19 yards per kickoff return with a long of 34 yards. More importantly, Robinson has five catches for 80 yards (16 yards per catch) and a touchdown in only 34 snaps.
Robinson appeared in just three games with the Cyclones in 2025 and had one catch, but talent was never the issue.
“Go back to our time at Iowa State the last six weeks, we were kind of in conflict. You didn’t have the 5-for-5 rule,” Campbell said on Tuesday. “He might have been one of the top receivers on our team, and we’re kind of, should we play him, should we not?
“And I got to work with him because I try to spend a lot of time with the scout offense during practice. And he was an absolute menace last year down there because of his competitive excellence.”
Jackson has seen more playing time than Robinson (44 snaps) but has caught just one pass for 10 yards. However, the coaching staff has expressed their confidence in the former three-star.
“Ithinkyou’veseenhimgetsomeopportunitiesearlyintheseason,” Campbell said Wednesday. “Ithinkyou’vealsoseenhimplaygreatfootballonspecialteamsaswell.Buthe’scertainlyanothername.Ithinkthat he willbeelevated,probablyinterms of expectinghimtoplayalittlebitmorewidereceiver aswemoveforward.”
Sleepers: Karon Brookins and Keith Jones Jr.
Sowell, Eskildsen, Robinson and Jackson will likely make up Penn State’s top four receivers this week, but look out for Karon Brookins and Keith Jones Jr.
Brookins is the fourth wideout to follow Campbell from Iowa State, but hasn’t seen consistent playing time. Jones joined Penn State via Grambling and is in a similar position as Brookins.
Brookins has seen 35 offensive snaps so far this season (yes, more than Robinson) and has one catch for eight yards. Brookins did not see the field at Iowa State and redshirted as a freshman last season.
Jones has played just 12 snaps so far and had 31 grabs for 438 yards and four touchdowns for the Tigers as a redshirt freshman.
Zero Recognition: Lyrick Samuel and Peter Gonzalez
To be clear, Lyrick Samuel and Peter Gonzalez are not expected to be thrust into a starting position anytime soon, but reps could be coming their way.
Samuel, a redshirt freshman, and Gonzalez, a redshirt sophomore, have not played much since arriving on campus. Both receivers were highly touted coming out of high school, and this could be the time for both to see more playing time.
Main Image: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
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